Joshua Wasilewski and his father John from Belmont Vt. look over baseball cards at the Albany Sports Card & Memorabilia Show at the Best Western Albany Airport Inn, in Colonie on Sunday November 25, 2012 (Jeff Couch / The Record)

COLONIE -- Inside a glass fronted case on Larry Silber's table Sunday at the Sports Card and Memorabilia Show, sitting between boxes of eye-catching baseball and basketball cards from recent decades, some with iridescent sheen, lay dozens of small, matte cards showing baseball players, poets, and other notables of a bygone era.

And it was these little cards that caught the eye of 15-year-old Joshua Wasilewski, who had traveled to the show with his father John from Belmont, Vermont.

For Joshua, who began collecting tobacco cards two and a half years ago, the vintage cards are, simply, "cooler" than cards made in recent years. "I like seeing how there are misprints and errors and variations," explained Joshua.

These little cards were once used to stiffen cigarette packaging and advertise their maker, with such forgotten names as Allen and Ginter, or Goodwin & Co. Once a pack was finished they were often disposed of or given to the kids; few have survived the years since the last major cigarette producer ceased production in the 1940's--leading to the current collector's market.

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Not interested in simply any tobacco card, Joshua was looking for a T206's, a category of tobacco cards only made between 1909 and 1911, with various backs, of which Joshua was interested mostly in the baseball players. On Sunday he picked up two cards, one with a portrait of John Titus, an outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Nationals. Titus' most notable accomplishment was leading the National League in number of times he was hit by a pitch--16--in 1909.

"It's a beater; it's got some damage to it," explained Joshua, but that "it's the only card in the set with a mustache." The card was backed by an advertisement for Sweet Caporal.

This penchant for such particular collectibles, when many young adults are more interested in buying the most recent packs of basketball or baseball cards, is a result of a supportive family, and a cost-prohibitive new card market.

"It's almost like a lottery; opening up a (new) pack--and there are $100 packs out there--and that's like trying to hit a scratch ticket and being set for life," explained Silber. Packs of new cards often lose much of their value once the pack is opened, and most of the packs do not have the most sought after cards--part of the reason for such cards being sought after.

Instead of putting an end to the purchase of all new cards, the Wasilewski's chose to put their money--and most of his own cards are bought by Joshua, as he emphatically noted--towards known cards with a known resale value.

"He started out years ago buying packs and just opening them up and ripping through them, and then we decided to start putting the money towards something more antique," explained John.

The cards Joshua bought were under $10, and at the lower range for such tobacco cards. Others in Silber's case were going for upwards of $30 and $40. However, depending on the card the price can become quite steep; in 2007, a card of Honus Wagner, sold for 2.8 million. A famous early baseball player, Wagner objected to his portrait being used by the company that produced the card.

While he does not collect himself, John was more than willing to assist his son's hobby, and though he claimed such support as only "chauffeuring and assisting as directed," that chauffeuring entailed bringing his son nearly 90 miles to Albany for the show. Yet such time was well-spent with his son, so more the worth the expense. The hobby, and the outings, are also a learning experience, for both father and son.

"He's teaching us everything he knows," said John. Collecting such tobacco cards can become very complex. In the decades of their production, there were many series produced, and a wide range of faces--Silber had Machivelli in his case, alongside Stonewall Jackson. However, the collecting can become even more detailed, with each card numbered by the factory, and some with typos or color variations.

For Silber, seeing young people like Joshua is part of what makes the endeavor worthwhile. Having retired from a Springfield newspaper, Silber has been spending some of his time engaging in the hobby until be begins collecting his pension.

The event was not especially profitable for Silber, but, he said "if I just focused on making money, it takes the fun out of it."